A Grain of Rice
by HeartsWereNeverMeantToRace
Summary: What if there was one more Taker in the crew? A smart sassy Female Taker that had ties to Ghost. Would that make a difference? "A single grain of rice can tip the scale."- Disney's Mulan. JessexOC
1. Prologue

Prologue:

"_A single grain of rice can tip the scale. One man can be the difference between victory and defeat."- Disney's Mulan_

She sighed as she sat in the pitch black Audi R8, watching as her older brother's plan unfolded. She resisted the urge to scratch her head, a nervous habit she developed after her first heist with the crew. Her job was simple; make sure the armored trucks got to the cones. Her eyes flickered up at one of the nearby office buildings; there he stood. His job was to get rid of her brother if any part of the plan fell through. She sighed impatiently as her car crawled another centimeter forward in the midday traffic. She heard her brother's voice through the walkie-talkie, giving a play-by-play of the scene to the members of their team underground. She heard the response of their leader, annoyed by the delay in their plan. The trucks had yet to show up at the designated location, they were only one left turn away. She gripped the steering wheel and grit her teeth in annoyance. "Come on…" she uttered. The words falling off her lips, like a maple tree's autumn leaves. Her brother's life wasn't the only one staked on this plan… hers was too.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Fed Cal

I sucked my teeth in annoyance as my forehead knocked against the wall of the trashcan. "Damn, Jesse." I whispered under my breath, knowing full well I couldn't remind my boyfriend that I was in the trashcan. I sucked in a breath as we came to a stop and waited for Jesse to lift the lid to let me out; he didn't. I, via the trashcan I was currently being carried in, was dragged up the stairs. I inwardly groaned. Why was it always the upper levels of banks under construction? Better yet, why did I always end up in the trashcan?

Finally, with one last connection of my forehead and the wall of the trashcan, we stopped. I heard my boyfriend ask, with a chuckle, "Did somebody say something about a toilet?" I smiled. Finally, we had made it.

Suddenly, the confined space I was in illuminated and an equally bright smiling face replaced the trash can's lid. I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the newly re-discovered sunlight, and smiled at Jesse. I stood to my full height of 59 inches or 4 foot eleven and grabbed onto Jesse's hand, allowing him to assist me out of the trashcan. I took a brief moment to assess the men around me. Jake, Jesse, John, and Gordon… they all were accounted for. I turned to Gordon and waited for the signal to get started with our plan.

"We have an hour." Gordon said, reminding us that we would have to work quickly. "Get to work." He said with a nod. I returned the nod, tossed a look at Jesse, and proceeded to exit the construction zone.

I moved as stealthily as I could down the bank's corridors. One false move and the jig would be up. I stuck to the shadows, trying to blend my all black outfit to the walls. If I were any other person, I'd look conspicuous prowling around the employee-only parts of the bank in all black, but with my baby face, innocent eyes, and child-like smile I could easily be mistaken for a child who had been separated from my parents. That wouldn't happen though, I was a master of disguise, or shall I say mistress of disguise.

I quickly slid into the women's bathroom and quietly slipped into the first stall before anyone could spot me. Using the agility I acquired after fifteen years of gymnastics, I hopped onto the toilet seat. I slid on an auburn colored wig, combing the human hair locks to make the hair seem natural. I snapped open one of my many contact cases and chose the charcoal grey pair. I blinked twice once I got the contacts in, adjusting my eyes to the intrusion. I pulled a raspberry colored blouse over my black leotard and a black pencil skirt. After fastening my black pumps, I sat on the toilet, keeping my feet elevated, so no one could see I was in the stall.

I turned on my laptop and quickly accessed the bank's database. I overrode the bank's security system, making it so I could easily turn the cameras off and on from my laptop. I wirelessly linked the computer to my Blackberry Storm and sent the cameras' control mechanism to my phone, that way I could control the cameras without having my computer out. Stuffing my laptop and all other forms of evidence into my oversized bag, I exited the stall and the bathroom as inconspicuously as I came.

I slid on the metallic grey nametag that read "California Federal Bank: 'Aubrey'". I easily slid past three out of the five bank managers on my way to the vaults. In my many missions staking out the bank, I had gained the trust of the many male employees. I guess all men are willing to do my bidding when I bat my eyelashes and not just Jesse. I smiled as I approached the one security guard in front of the vault; a prime example of a man who would bow to my command, just so I would give him the time of day. "Michael…" I said, letting his name pour off my lips the same way a child would request something they know they are not getting from their parents.

He smiled at me, His dull dark brown eyes shrinking under his round chocolate brown cheeks. "Aubrey… what can I do for you?"

"Well, I need the passcode to the vault. Apparently, one of our corporate sponsors wants a tour Sunday afternoon." I said smoothly, letting the lie flow like the Amazon River.

"It's…" He stopped suddenly; wondering whether or not he should divulge such classified information, no doubt. His hand moved to his walkie-talkie. "Maybe, I should clear it with the chief first."

"Okay," I shrugged innocently. "But, I already talked to Chief Phillips and he told me to come to you. If you must call him, I guess that's what needs to be done, but he seemed swamped with work." He eyed me wearily. "If I were you, I'd be happy he trusted me with a responsibility of this magnitude, but I'm sure I can just get Kevin from the third floor to tell me." I started to take a step toward the door. My hand unintentionally went to my head, scratching a nervous itch. I took a deep breath, counting the seconds before I knew he'd give in to my baiting.

"Well… I guess I could tell you then, Aubrey. I'm sure I can trust you. I mean, you wouldn't let any robbers in here." I turned around as I bit my lower lip, holding back my laugh. If he only knew… He quickly scribbled what I assumed to be the passcode onto a small piece of paper. I reached out and grabbed it. I quickly read the information and stuffed the small 3x5 sheet into my bra. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Michael's eyes lustfully follow the motion.

I flashed him a bright smile as I sauntered towards him. "Thanks." I slid my tongue across the top row of my pearly whites and sucked my bottom lip into my mouth. "You know, after work on Sunday I'm pretty much free. If you want we can go out to dinner, unless you're busy…" I looked away wistfully, hoping he'd sense the implication. "I could always ask Kevin."

"No!" He objected, hopping out of the rolling chair with a lithe I didn't think a man of his size was capable of. "I would love to go out to dinner with you!"

Just when I was about to proclaim my excitement at an event I knew would never happen Michael's walkie-talkie came to life. "The elevator's down. Something's wrong."

Michael's eyes widened and he glanced over at his walkie-talkie. "I gotta go see what's going on up there!" He spun around in a circle. I figured he was trying to figure out what to do with himself. "Stay right here." He forcefully commanded me and darted out of the corridor.

I snorted to myself. "Trust me, I'm staying right here." I pulled out my Blackberry Storm and pressed 'END'. The red light from the camera above my head went out. I had successfully shut down the cameras near the vault. I smiled and sauntered over to the keypad next to the vault. I quickly typed in the six digit passcode: 264357… "Angels".

Suddenly, the corridor with flooded by four masked men in all black. I shrugged. "It's open, hurry up."

I watched as Jesse, Gordon, and the others filled the black duffel bags with cash. Our goal was two million dollars; our biggest heist yet. "All right men," I resisted the urge to clear my throat at the statement Gordon had made in his gruff voice. "That's it, we got it all. Let's go." Without hesitation, I darted out of the vault and its corridor into the hall with the men following behind me.

"FREEZE!" Half a dozen security guards appeared in front of us, guns at the ready. Suddenly, I was grabbed from behind and put in a chokehold. My eyes widened, not out of fear but out of shock.

Michael stepped forward with the gun in his hand, ready to shoot. "Let her go!" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his attempt at heroism. Surely he didn't think that one moment of valiancy would win me, meaning my alias Aubrey, over.

"And if I don't?" Jesse challenged defiantly. I held back the sigh of relief that came from knowing I was in his arms, even if he did have me in a chokehold.

"I'll shoot you!"

At that moment, I wanted to do nothing more than laugh. Thankfully, Jesse did it for me. Then, someone stepped up to the front line alongside Jesse and me. "We will let her go in the lobby WHEN you let us past. If not," Jake nodded towards Jesse and a gun was placed by my head. "The girl goes…" My eyes widened again, this time out of fear. I didn't think the guys would stoop so low, but then again they did abandon Ghost. Jesse subtly brushed his lips against my hair, a kiss. Then, I knew for sure it was all an act so they could get out. Despite that fact, my heart was still racing.

I heard a click; Michael had removed the safety from his gun. I heard an echoing click, one dangerously close to me; so had Jesse. All hints of my reassurance had disappeared. I was about to panic. Chief Phillips, the head of the bank's security, rested his hand on Michael's shoulder. "That's enough; we won't risk her life Lieutenant." He looked up at us and nodded. "Release her the minute your feet touch the main lobby. If the police catch you… oh well."

We ran. The chief had all but given us his permission to get away with the money. Jesse still held me in a chokehold, to keep up with the act I hoped. It was hard to run being restrained in that way. I tripped every few steps and my shins were covered in soon-to-be bruises. Finally, we made it to the lobby and I was thrust to the floor. I was going to **abuse** Jesse the next time I saw him. Jesse, John, Jake and Gordon had all disappeared as quickly as they had originally come. I knew that they were on the roof meeting A.J., who had commandeered a helicopter from one of the news stations.

Within a few minutes, the police came. They were, of course, too late to catch the guys, but they did interview a few "eye-witnesses". Unfortunately that included me. I told the cops the whole story. I told them how Michael left me to "watch" the vault and then the robbers ran after me and tried to hold me hostage. Of course, I left out the part where I unlocked the vault and shut down the cameras. After an hour and half, they finally gave into my protests of being "traumatized" and let me go.

I walked about a block and half from the bank and stripped myself of the Aubrey persona. I put on what I would consider normal clothes for me, i.e. jeans and a shirt that says USC Trojans, the university where I just finished my under-graduate studies. I had majored in Pre-Law and minored in Criminal Justice, ironic right?

After I finished changing, I walked another four and a half blocks to get to my car. It was a cherry red Maserati Gransport, a present from Jesse for my twenty-first birthday. I opened the doors, got inside the car, stuck my key into the ignition, and revved up the engine. I smiled, hearing my baby purr. I closed my door, turned up the radio and slid on a pair of Gucci shades. Then, I sped off into the Las Angeles sunset, headed for our clubhouse and hideout, Club Echo.


	3. Chapter 2

**My fastest update... ever! Mostly due to all the positive reviews so shoutout to all my reviewers: _i'moneinamillion, abbizilla, princessbva09, marie potter riddle, HistoryNerd, Fairy Skull, and MiffyMini96. _**

**Don't count on me ever updating this fast again because I am terrible at it. Shout out to all of those who favorited/alerted me or the story. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: This all belongs to Screen Gems... except for Deidra (the main character- I haven't used her name yet)... I kinda wish Jesse was mine though... or at least chris brown lol jk!**

**ENJOY!  
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Chapter 2: The Crew

I pulled up to the club slowly. I hated jobs like this, the ones where I got separated from the group. I never knew whether or not the boys had been caught or not. I was relieved to find Gordon's Range Rover, Jesse's motorcycle, along with John, Jake, and A.J.'s cars in the parking lot. Another successful heist…

I pulled into the spot next to Jesse's bike and got out of the car. I headed into the club with my head held high and a determined look on my face. Now that I knew that the guys had gotten away safely, I could focus on my plan to do semi-permanent damage to Jesse's body for his "act". As I marched into the building, I took in the familiar setting. Hardwood floors, amber and blue lighting, a black upright piano; this was a classy club.

"Hey Baby Girl!" I turned to face A.J., who had greeted me. He was seated at the piano, no surprise, smoking a cigarette and wearing his signature fedora.

I smiled at him. "Hey A.J., everything go good?" I asked him for reassurance of what I already knew.

"Yep" He nodded while taking a puff on his cigarette. "Try not to be too hard on Jess, though." I opened my mouth to question exactly how he knew what I was up to. "You have that look on your face. The 'I'ma kill Jesse' face."

I frowned. I didn't realize I had a face. "Well, he shouldn't have been so rough with me…I'm delicate."

"That's not what I heard." He stated under his breath, but I heard him. My eyes widened and I began to storm up the stairs. Jesse Attica was in **trouble**. "Baby Girl wait!" A.J. went after me, but I started running. Soon, he had caught up to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and lifting me up.

"A.J. put me down!" I said with a squeal and a giggle. For some strange reason, I liked A.J. the most out of all the guys, minus Jesse, of course. He saw me as a little sister and was just as carefree as I was, but I knew that he was a tough guy on the inside. After a few steps, we had made it to the second level of the club. I, of course, was fighting A.J. all the way. Being man-handled was _not_ fun, despite my laughter.

A.J. put me down as soon as we got upstairs, or maybe that was because we came face to face with Gordon and John. "Baby Girl…" Gordon addressed me in his British accent. "How did things go after we left the bank?"

I shrugged indifferently, despite the fact I knew three possibly judgmental pairs of eyes were on me. "Fine, I got interrogated, but I handled it."

"What does that mean?" John questioned me stepping forward. "You 'handled it'?"

I rolled my eyes. "I didn't dime you guys out, if that's what you mean." I scoffed and tried to push my way through them. John grabbed my arm. "What?"

"What did you say to the cops, Baby Girl?" Gordon asked, looking down at me. "We just need to make sure you didn't say anything that might get us caught."

I scoffed again and jerked away from John. "I told them that the security guard left me down in the vault and then I was captured by the robbers, but I couldn't remember any details because I was too traumatized from the experience. Then after an hour and a half of badgering, they let me go." I sighed. "They didn't even question why I was in the vault." Despite all the training I had to go through to even be considered a part of the crew, they didn't completely trust me. I was a trained gymnast with a theatre background. I had become whoever I needed to be to get the three heists I had participated in done successfully. Yet, they still questioned my abilities.

"And they didn't question who 'Aubrey' was?" John questioned again, his blue eyes piercing into my dark brown ones.

"No." I said confidently. "We didn't go through all that work to come up with a persona to get me a job at the bank to have it all fall through. I know what I'm doing."

Gordon and John exchanged a nod and headed downstairs. A.J. and I exchanged a knowing look, while I sucked in a deep breath. A.J. pulled me into a hug. I loved him; sometimes it felt like A.J. was the only one outside of Jesse who understood me. A.J gave me a peck on the head and let me out of the hug. "Go easy on Jesse… he loves you." With that, A.J. walked back downstairs.

I started to open the door of the room Jesse and Jake were in, but I stopped. I paused to think about what A.J. had said, considering going easy on Jesse. Then, I caught a part of Jesse's conversation with his brother. "I'm not going back. I've been in juvie and I'm not going back. I'm not going back for you and I'm certainly not going back to see Dad."

I sighed. I knew immediately what Jesse and Jake were talking about. They had this conversation more than enough times. Jesse was adamant; he was not going back.

"How about we built him a house, then?" Jake suggested. I pressed my ear against the door to hear their conversation better, but I still didn't hear Jesse's response. I still knew it was positive from Jake's reaction. "Good." I heard footsteps approaching the door and I pressed my back against the wall. Jake came out; he noticed me immediately.

He gave me a look, not a judging one nor an angry one. He was begging. Without saying a word, I knew what he was asking. I gave one sharp nod. "I'll talk to him." Jake breezed past me, leaving me to the task I had just promised him.

I walked into the room. The shelves filled with books; the bar filled with bottles, but I knew neither of the men who had just occupied the room had been drinking. Jesse was sitting by the coffee table, sorting bills; probably differentiating between marked and unmarked.

I stood in the doorway for a few moments, waiting for him to notice me. Finally, he spoke. "No." This was the only word he spoke.

I folded my arms across my chest and sighed. "Jesse, he's your father."

He paused from his money sorting and raised an eyebrow at me. I held his gaze for a few seconds before he turned his attention back to his work. I could hear the bills slapping together. "I don't care. I'm not going back."

I sighed and crossed the small room to stand beside him. "Jesse, I know going to visit your father in prison is the last thing you want to do, but outside of Jake he's the only family you have… don't you want to spend time with him?"

"No."

I held back a groan. "Hopefully, you'll see one day. Honestly, I have one person in my family and because of my 'occupation' I'm not allowed to have any communication with him at all. I'd give anything to trade places with you, Jess." That did it. He made complete eye-contact with me. This time it was not out of spite, but of love, compassion, and sympathy. He set the bills he had in his hands down and grabbed my hips. He pulled me closer to him until I fell into his lap, straddling him.

His eyes still smoldering, he reached out and grasped my lips in a passionate kiss. This is why I loved him. I melted into the kiss, meshing my lips into his, trying as hard as possible to conjoin my body with his. "I'm sorry, Dee." He whispered against my lips. He was apologizing for being stubborn; he, of all people, knew how much I missed Delonte. My older brother had raised me; I hadn't seen him in nearly three years and he had a year more of his seven year sentence. I missed him dearly.

Jesse captured my lips into another kiss. I responded, but not as fiercely as before. Suddenly, I remembered why I had come up here in the first place. I tried to pull away. "You're making it very hard to remember I'm mad at you."

Jesse laughed while he trapped me into another kiss. "You're mad at me?"

I nodded. "For several reasons." His tongue slid across my bottom lip, I bit back a moan.

Jesse chuckled. He was enjoying this. "Is that so?" He questioned before kissing me again.

"Mm-hm" I answered but it came out as a moan.

Jesse smiled, pulling away from my lips and turning his attention to my neck. He placed several heat-filled, open mouthed kisses at the point where my neck and collarbone meet. I tilted my head back to give him better access. Instead of taking this opportunity to kiss me some more, he began nibbling on my neck. Damn him, he knew that was my spot. I let out another moan and wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my body closer to his.

Jesse stood slightly, affectively wrapping my thigh around his waist while trapping me into another heat-filled kiss. I returned the kiss eagerly. I moaned again; I could feel Jesse's arousal pressing into my inner thigh. Soon, my head made contact with the coffee table, splaying the bills everywhere. Not breaking away from the kisses, I pulled Jesse's body closer to mine, if at all possible. His hands were roaming under my shirt. Coming to my senses, I pulled away. "Jesse, we have to stop."

He groaned, placing a kiss on my neck, almost making me change my mind. "Why?"

"Because…" I bit back a moan as Jesse continued his assault on my neck. "I think G would be furious if we had sex on the money."

He pulled back and stood. "I think you're right." He pulled me up to a standing position. I fell into his chest… well upper stomach, as he stood six foot two.

I wrapped my arms around his torso, giving him a hug. "Later… maybe." I smiled and sighed contently, taking in the smell of his Axe Dark Temptation Deodorant spray. "I have to go home, so I can shower and change… look for a grad school."

He sighed, bending down to kiss my forehead. "Okay, then." He took my hand in his, lacing our fingers together. "I'll walk you outside."

As we made our way down the stairs and outside, we caught sight of Jake and his girl, Lily. They were locked in somewhat passionate embrace, not unlike the ones Jesse and I were just in. I frowned.

Jesse noticed. "What? My brother isn't allowed to date?"

I laughed. "No. It's still weird to see Lily with anybody other than Ghost."

Jesse frowned. "She's happy with Jake though, and she makes him happy. Judging by the way they're acting she said yes." I looked up at him confused. "Jake was gonna propose."

I nodded. It made sense; they had been together for nearly four years. "Come on." I pulled Jesse along, rushing past Lily and Jake and out of the club. Once outside, I leaned against the hood of my car. I sighed deeply.

Jesse looked down at me, his brown eyes confused. "What?"

"I hate that I cannot be mad at you."

He laughed. "I think that's a good thing. Nobody wants to face your wrath. Why were you mad at me in the first place?"

I looked at him like he was stupid. Did he really just ask me that? "The bank."

He rolled his eyes. "Come on babe, you know that was just an act."

"Really?" I faced him, glaring up at him. "The chokehold and the gun I could understand, but dragging me up the stairs and then practically throwing me on the floor! Not okay."

He sighed, taking both my hands into his and lacing our fingers together. "I'm sorry. I didn't do those things to hurt you, you _know _that." He placed a gentle kiss on my lips. "Forgive me?"

I looked up at him and sighed. How could I not forgive him? His naturally strawberry pink bottom lip was poking out and his brown eyes were wide with a child-like innocence. I sighed again. "Yes."

He smiled, my favorite smile, large enough to see most of his teeth, but small enough to portray a sense of humility. He bent down and kissed me. "I love you."

"Love you, too." I turned and got into the car. Soon, I sped off, blowing Jesse a kiss as I disappeared into the horizon.


	4. Chapter 3

**AN: BOO YEAH! Not only is this an extremely fast update for me, but it is the longest chapter I've ever written... EVER! Shoutout to the reviewers: _TraylorxChaylor, FlipperDoodle,_ _i'moneinamillion, Edward'sBella4eva, iWyatt, History Nerd. _Shoutout to all who favorited/alerted me or the story.**

**Don't expect another update this fast or long again. Just saying**

**Disclaimer: I wish... because I'd be sitting on a fat 30 mill right now.  
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Chapter 3: Memories

I walked into my condo and flicked on the lights. Dropping my keys in the dish by the door, I kept walking toward my living room/ common area. I plopped down on the plush white couch and pulled my laptop from my bag. I set the navy blue laptop on the ebony coffee table and picked up my favorite photo, encased in a silver frame. I was fifteen in that picture; Delonte, twenty-eight. We were at DisneyLand theme park and it was two days before the '04 heist, the last day my brother and I spent together before he was arrested. I sighed and leaned back on the couch so I was now reclining. I closed my eyes as I held the picture toward my chest and remembered the fateful day that changed my life:

_I had the house to myself, a rarity. It wasn't that 'Te didn't trust me; he didn't trust, and I quote, "those nappy-headed boys I went to school with". Sometimes I wanted to remind him that we had long moved out of the ATL, so he should at least try to blend his southern accent and axioms for more Californian ones; but I digress. I knew the comment about boys was only because he wanted to protect me. That and he would forever see me as the little girl who always wanted to tag along with him and his friends, despite our thirteen year age difference._

_I looked into the refrigerator and found last night's leftover fried chicken and macaroni & cheese untouched. I smiled; I didn't have to cook and I got a throw-down southern meal. I placed my dinner in the microwave to be heated and turned on the TV. Despite the fact that I had an entire weekend worth of homework, including an essay, a science project, 30 math problems, history notes, and seven more chapters in the __Count of Monte Cristo __to read; I wanted to watch the news, and if I caught a couple episodes of "Girlfriends" and Usher on "106 & Park", then I'd just have to deal._

_When I turned on the news, it was on the weather. I rolled my eyes,_ '_Lemme guess… it's gonna be… wait for it… SUNNY!' Luckily for me, I wouldn't have to sit through the 'predictions' of a sunny week or the weatherman's bad comb-over toupee because the microwave beeped. By the time I walked back into the living room with my steaming hot repast the television had switched to covering the heist that had occurred at a local bank. I set down my food and turned up the volume. These were the kind of stories I watched the news for._

_The crew was in and out of the bank in less than an hour and successfully evaded security. However, in their attempt to flee on a fire escape, one of the members was shot down by the police. His crew abandoned him. Just when I was about to taste a forkful of macaroni and cheese, the news reporter revealed the name of the fallen robber, Delonte Rivers. I dropped my fork and hoped I had heard wrong. Surely, they weren't talking about _my _Delonte Rivers, my older brother. Then, they showed his picture. My brother had robbed a bank and gotten caught. 'Damn it!' I thought to myself and walked to the kitchen to throw away nearly all of my dinner. I had lost my appetite. Suddenly, homework and eating were the last things on my mind. As I walked to the back of the house with tears sliding down my cheeks I wondered 'what's going to happen to me?'_

_The next day they came for me, social services. Obviously, since my legal guardian had been arrested, they had come to put me in a foster home. I didn't know what to expect. All of the television shows, movies, and books I had read polluted my mind about the foster care system, I had hoped that they were wrong. They weren't._

_My foster parents treated me less like a child and more like a burden. They kept me just happy enough to keep up with appearances and get that check from the state. Needless to say, I was not happy. My brother and I were living a MTV Cribs lifestyle, which I now knew came from robbing banks, but I had been forced into an Extreme Home Make-over's life, before the house was rebuilt. The three bedroom house contained a total of six foster kids. I was the oldest, which meant I had to look after the brood of ages 12, 9,7,4,2 and 9 months._

_Worse than becoming practically the mother of a bunch of kids I didn't know at age fifteen, is the fact that my foster parents abused me. I suffered for the two and a half years I was there. I couldn't even leave, all the other foster kids there said this was the best home they had ever been in. Although, they did admit that it was because of me. I protected them from the worst of the abuse, even if that meant I had to endure it myself._

_In the months before my eighteenth birthday, I was on the countdown and so were the kids. For me, it was liberation day; for them, doomsday. They knew their protector would be gone. Sarah, the oldest after me who was now 15, knew that she would be taking over once I left. I remember my birthday like the United States remembers Pearl Harbor; everything about that day has been branded on my brain. I could never forget._

_Sarah and I were sitting on my bed in our shared bedroom. I had bought us two half-pint tubs of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, then he came in, our foster father, Drew. "What are you ladies doin' up in here?" He slurred with a slightly sadistic smile. I glanced over at the beer bottle in his hand; he was drunk._

_Sarah's fear was obvious as she glanced over at me. She took a deep breath and bravely answered his question. "We're just eatin' some ice cream to celebrate Dee's birthday."_

_The smile Drew gave me in response to this statement sent chills running down my spine. My skin was crawling. In an instant, I knew the exact thought running through his sick mind. He confirmed my fear with this one sentence. "Oh, right, you are eighteen now." I resisted the urge to vomit when his tongue swiped across his lower lip. _

_I gulped and closed my eyes, praying that my nightmare wouldn't come true. As Drew walked over to me, I took a deep breath. "Sarah, go check on the other kids."_

"_What?" Her eyes widened as she rushed to my side and placed her hand on my shoulder. "Are you INSANE? I'm not leaving you in here with him!" _

_For a split second, the room was silent. That is, until the deafening crack of Drew's hand upon Sarah's vanilla cheek pierced the ear. I winced when I witnessed the action, especially when I saw the tears well up in Sarah's eyes as she reached up to cradle her reddened cheek._

_I tried to hold back the tears that were pricking at my own eyes. "Sarah,go." I whispered softly, yet I knew my tone left no room for argument._

_She stood obediently and walked out of the room. I was left to face the monster the government considered to be worthy of raising children. I raised an eyebrow defiantly. "Are you happy?"_

_Drew grinned again and bit his lower lip. "Ecstatic."_

_I shrugged haughtily. "Hmm, you're smarter than I gave you credit for." I rose to my feet and grabbed the half-empty cartons of ice cream. "Now, if you excuse me I'm going to throw these away and convince the kids to play a game of hide and go seek."_

_As I tried to walk pass him, Drew trapped my arm in a death grip and threw me onto the bed. "Baby girl, that's cute." He started walking toward me as he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his rounded beer belly. _

"_Don't call me that!" I spit the words at him. "You know what get the hell outta my room and go spend time with your so-called WIFE!"_

_He snorted. "That bitch?" He trapped me between his knees and slid his face close to mine. I held my breath, disgusted by the pungent odor of alcohol and B.O. "Now, why would I want her when I could have a young, sexy thing like you?" He leaned closer to me and I kneed him in the groin. He fell back onto the floor and I made my attempt to escape. I ran toward the door, but he caught me, digging his dirty fingernails into my skin. I winced as he turned me around to face him._

"_Oh, so you think you're tough, now? You think you grown?" He threw me on the bed once again making my head hit the rail. I flinched in pain as my hand went instinctively to my head. I hopped up before he could reach the bed and made attempt to reach the door. Drew was blocking the way, glaring at me. "Where you goin' now?"_

_I had to get out. I couldn't stay in this place any longer. I had sacrificed nearly three years of my life protecting the children on the floor below me, but this time I needed to protect myself. I looked around; I was out of options. Drew was blocking the only exit, his blue eyes blazing with fury. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the one way I could escape. I gave myself a running start and jumped._

_The window's glass shattered and lacerated the sides of my body, but I didn't care. I was so close to freedom. As I soared threw the air, adrenaline pumped threw my veins. I flipped in the air to make sure I would land on the grass. Never had I been as grateful of my gymnastics training as when the balls of my feet hit the grass. I took off running. I didn't care where I went, as long as I was far away from that house._

_I ran as far as my body abled me, which wasn't that far. The adrenaline was wearing off and I hurt in so many places. Not only that, but I was losing blood. I slowed down to a walk as my eyes fluttered shut. I smacked my face. "Come on girl, wake up." I pressed forward, despite my wooziness, determined to get out of the neighborhood._

_I don't know how much farther I walked, but I knew I soon gave up. I rested my hand against a bench and let darkness consume me._

_When I woke up, I was sitting in a dimly lit club. I could hear some men whispering. I stayed completely quiet, unsure of where I was exactly._

"_We need to get rid of her." One of them said. They had their backs toward me, so I couldn't see who had spoken._

"_We can't." One who had a British accent replied._

"_Why not? We give her some money and drop her off somewhere."_

"_We can't put her in that kind of danger. She's clearly a child!"_

"_Then, we'll call social services and be done with it!"_

_Someone bent down in front of me and rested their hand on my forehead. I moaned and opened my eyes. My eyes widened and I smiled. "Lily!" I reached out to hug her but I was in pain. I lay back down._

"_Dee?" Her eyes widened. She must not have realized it was me. "What happened to you?"_

_I shrugged. "It's a long story." I looked around, taking in my surroundings. "Where am I?"_

_Lily paused and looked behind her, unsure of what she should say._

_A dark-skinned man stepped forward and addressed me, "Safe." I appraised him and wondered to myself how save I could actually be in a room full of strangers, aside from Lily, my brother's ex-girlfriend._

"_What are you going to do with me?" I inquired. I had to know they weren't going to just put me out on the street._

_A caramel skinned male with full pink lips rolled his eyes and said, "Get rid of you hopefully," under his breath but I had heard him. I glared up at him._

_Lily turned around to glare. "Jesse." She hissed under her teeth. "Jesse" pushed himself off of the counter and walked off. My glare followed him the entire way. He didn't look much older than I was. In any other situation, I would have found him attractive, but his attitude towards me turned me off._

_I rolled my eyes and turned my eyes back to the guy with the British accent. "So, what now?"_

_He sighed. I could see the conflict in his dark brown eyes. "You rest up and we'll figure out what to do with you."_

"_Gordon," Lily stood and approached him. "She's Ghost's sister."_

_And just like that, my fate was decided. "She leaves tomorrow."_

The sound of my Blackberry vibrating broke me out of my reverie. I quickly picked up the phone and viewed the text. It was from Jesse:

Thinking of you, Babe. Can't wait to see you 2nite

Love you, Jesse.

I smiled. It was hard to believe that at one point in time this man could not stand me. I set the phone back onto the table and looked over at the clock. It was nearly 8:30. I sighed. It would take forever for me to get ready. I lifted my computer off the table, and something caught my eye. I set the laptop onto the couch and picked up the folded sheet of paper. I opened the paper, confused, and read it:

Hey you,

You might want to get a better lock.

The next visitor you get might not be so friendly.

I chill ran down my spine. I felt violated. Someone had broken into my apartment. I stuffed the note into my pocket and headed into my bedroom to get ready. I quickly took a shower. I was now paranoid, who knows what the intruder could've done. As I slid on my fire engine red dress, I thought of all the things the intruder could have done, all the people he… or she could have been. I shuddered. Suddenly, I wished I'd invited Jesse over. I walked quickly back into the bathroom to do my make-up. I rushed through the routine as fast as I could without ruining the make-up job. As I was putting my brushes away, I looked at the object sitting on the counter and sighed.

I shook my head and walked back into the bedroom. I slid on my red strapped heels. I sighed to myself as I stood, and resolved to tell Jesse what I had found. Decided and ready, I grabbed my red clutch and walked out of the door.


	5. Chapter 4

*whistles* Long time no see guys! Ummm so, I took a little bit of creative licensing for this. Changed and rearranged some of the dialogue to make it convenient for Dee's presence and to match my notes (that I thought I did while watching the movie but I guess not)

ShoutOut to all my lovely and faithful reviewers: Jlynne33,OriginallyImperfect, Butch Walker, xxCrimexObsessedxPrincessxx, Edward'sBella4eva, Babyc701, HistoryNerd, rhiannon, MizzTigg41695, Unkwown123, kiralol101, Blondie99, ladytoshiro92, Sidthe, Brittani, BrathanXOXO, Quieria, NaeNae1495, and the holy see.

Another shoutout to the patient people who have waited these long months for this story!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Unforntunately, this movie belongs to Screen Gems and I only get a fictional character named Deidra *sigh*

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Chapter 4: Ghost

Like clockwork, as the numbers on my Maserati's digital clock switched from 10:59 to 11:00, the entire crew pulled up to the club simultaneously. I was the last to join the crew, right after Jesse, who found it necessary to nearly give me a heart attack by skidding to a stop and almost falling off his motorcycle. He immediately, after greeting all the guys, walked over to me and slung his arm around my shoulders. He bent down and placed a kiss on my hair. "How's the search goin'? Did you find any good schools tonight?"

I sighed. Crap. "Umm, no. I sorta forgot. I was too busy… thinking."

"Yeah… you do that a lot."

"Well at least one of us does." I rolled my eyes and playfully poked him in the side.

"I think. I think all the time. Like right now I'm thinking…" I raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for the smart ass comment I knew was gonna come out of his mouth. "I'm thinking you're looking pretty sexy in that dress."

I busted out laughing. I was expecting him to say something outrageous, but not that. I smiled up at him. "Thank you. It's by that designer I told you about. The one I went to high school with, Christopher Evan."

"Hmm… he makes good stuff… but then again..." He paused to grin at me. I wondered what he was gonna finish that sentence with. He bent down to whisper in my ear. "You'd look sexy in absolutely nothing."

I pushed myself away from him and rolled my eyes. "I keep forgetting that post-job you have a one-track mind!"

Jesse stuck his tongue out at me and rested his hand on the small of my back. He guided me into the club and I could hear A.J. behind us chuckling at our childish antics. With the club packed with some of L.A's finest, partying away the stresses of the workweek, our hideout didn't look as such. It had come to life. It would be a shock to an outsider that six seasoned bank robbers had stowed a portion of their latest cash inside of the walls in the building.

"Come on." Jesse tugged on my hand, and I followed him upstairs to the V.I.P. lounge. Apparently, John had some important news to divulge to the crew.

By the time Jesse and I arrived in the V.I.P., everyone else was already there, drinking and enjoying each other's company, discussing some unknown topic.

"So, you're tellin' me" Gordon began in that British accent of his. "That he was just standin' there in your apartment?"

"Yes!" John exclaimed. "He was in there, drinking _my_ whiskey, talking about some heist he wants us to do. I was gonna shoot him in the back of the head."

"You should've shot him." He paused "Wait, so he wants to do a heist and he hasn't even been out twenty-four hours?" Jake asked, making me even more were they talking about? "He's crazy"

"He doesn't play when it comes to money. " John continued. "He's too smart for that."

"Baby girl, did you know anything about this?" Gordon asked me but I was still confused.

I looked up at him with a frown on my face. "Who the hell are you guys talking about?"

"Hey John…" A.J. called out as he looked over the balcony. "She's looking at you."

"Who?" John walked to A.J. at the balcony and looked.

"The Blonde."

John smiled and patted A.J. on the shoulder. "I'll be right back…"

He breezed past me and Jesse, headed downstairs. "What the hell? He just gon' leave like that? He asked us to come up here! I could be partying!"

Jesse chuckled at me. I glared at him. "Well," He bent down and whispered into my ear. "We could always go upstairs and have our own private party." I felt his teeth graze my earlobe; I shivered involuntarily.

I turned my attention to the rest of the crew. "We'll be back later."

Jesse grabbed my hand and announced to the entire room. "We're going to the loft. Private Party!" I almost smacked him; EVERYONE did not need to know our business. He pulled me toward the door as Lily entered.

"Where are you two going?"

"None of your damn business!" Jesse answered quickly before pushing her out of the way and dragging me toward the stairs.

"Will you calm down?" I asked him with a laugh as we approached the stairs. Just as my foot hit the first step, I spotted a familiar face amongst the crowd. I froze. "Jesse!"

He turned around to look at me. "What?"

"It's GHOST!" I picked up the hem of my dress and began pulling Jesse back toward the room. My brother was back!

"Dee!"

We entered the room, stopping suddenly at the door to not run into the older sibling in question. Lily was looking up at him in surprise. "Ghost…" I noticed that John had made his return to the room as well.

"It's been a long time, girl."

I held back a sob of elation and leaned into Jesse. It was really him. I was overpowered with emotions: ecstasy, worry, fear, and anger.

"When did you get out?" Lily questioned looking up her former love; however, I was wondering the same as well.

"Why?" My brother smirked and reached out for Lily's hand. "You miss me?"

"Ghost, you need to back up." Jake took a step forward, ready to pull his… fiancé away from Ghost. I took a deep breath, wondering whether or not my brother's feelings for the woman remained.

"Easy, Jake, easy. I wish you guys the best. Really, it's the past. I'm here to discuss the future, if I may." I breathed a sigh of relief that part of the tension dissipated. Ghost turned around to face Jesse and I. He appraised us for a moment, though the reason I couldn't tell. Part of me wondered if I should tell him that I was his little sister, the baby girl, all grown up. "Jesse." He greeted my boyfriend and then took a second look at me; invasive and searching, as if he had me under a microscope. "Dee."

"I told you tomorrow, Ghost." John said, but the short statement put everything in perspective for me. Ghost was the visitor John had had earlier; which means, I had discovered the identity my "friendly" visitor as well.

"I'm not here to bust any balls." I cleared my throat at the male-oriented statement out of habit. My brother's eyes flickered toward me. "Just business… aight?"

Ghost took his time greeting the rest of the crew… a lot more friendly had he greeted Jesse and me. I wondered whether it was because he was surprised to see me among the ranks of the robbers and if Jesse's cold-hearted welcome was because of his relationship to the man who stole my brother's former flame or the fact he was my boyfriend.

After the initial greetings, silence reigned in the room; and with that silence, tension. It was obvious; no one, sans me and maybe Jesse, trusted Ghost. We all wanted to know one thing: why was he here?

"Lotta tension in the room, huh?" Ghost attempt at addressing the elephant with levity fell flat.

"What do you want, Ghost?" Gordon asked, making it absolutely clear that my brother's unexpected arrival was not a welcome one.

"Damn, it's like that?"

G gave a slight, solemn nod. "It's like that."

I could tell my brother was a little put-off by their coldness. But I doubted anyone else did; besides, he recovered quickly. "Well, I'll be brief, then." He reached into the small box on the table and took out one of the pricey Cuban cigars. "I say we go _Italian Job_ on that ass."

I frowned, trying to remember the plot of that movie. Jesse bent down to whisper in my ear. "Blow up the street."

Aside from Jesse's explanation of what the "_Italian Job_" was the room was dead silent. However, the silence was soon broken by a soft chuckle coming from G. "Why don't we take this upstairs, Ghost?" He shifted his focus to me and Jesse. "Jesse, stay here."

"What!" Gordon shot Jesse a look to kill any further protests. He clenched his jaw in irritation, but didn't say anything further.

Ghost looked back at me. "You're not allowed either, Dee." I glared at him and took a step forward in defiance. How dare he tell me what to do, when I hadn't seen him in six years! "Deidra." He raised an eyebrow at me, almost challenging me to defy him again.

I sighed and took a step back. I wouldn't press him, not if he used my real name. No one said anything as the rest of the crew exited. I moved toward the couch and sat down, still shaken from this whole day. I placed my face in my hands and let out another sigh.

"Babe?" I looked up to see Jesse standing beside me at the edge of the couch. His anger had dissipated, if only slightly so. "Did you know he was coming back?"

My eyebrow twitched in anger. "How Jesse? How would I possibly KNOW he was coming back?" I held back the rest of the smart remarks I wanted to make, but "God, you're so fuckin' stupid," managed to fall from my lips.

"Sorry not all of us can graduate from the top of our class. Some of us were too busy trying to stay out of juvie."

"You know I didn't mean it." Jesse didn't comment on my half-hearted apology. I took a deep breath and stood to hug him. "I'm sorry. I know you're not stupid, Jesse. I just… I don't need this right now; my emotions are a little on edge."

He frowned and looked down at me. "PMS?"

I sighed and nodded. "Something like that."

"And Ghost being back doesn't help, either?"

"Not at all, but… I am glad to see him. He's my brother."

He smiled at me. "I know." He bent down to kiss my forehead. I smiled and held him tighter. If only all my troubles could be fixed by Jesse's smile. Despite my current comfort, I still worried about what Ghost's return would bring.


End file.
